Betameeta 2024

[peteracs]

Hi All

Just thought I would start a discussion on meeting next year. After talking with my better half she suggested at some point we should have one here based around Grantham which gives the opportunity to visit the roads of Northern Lincolnshire (no they are not all flat and boring).

So, anyone else interested in organising the weekend, please post here.

Peter

[Neil-yaj396]

I'd mentioned doing Yorkshire again next year in a tag with Mark for Shropshire. However as it's been done I'd support Lincolnshire for sure. We found some great roads back in my surveillance driving training days out of North Lincoln 2012 to 2015 and even some of the flat fenland roads got interesting as per my 'airbourne BMW 5 Series' story.

[peteracs]

Hi

I just reread what I had written and did not make it clear that I meant anyone who is interested in taking on organising in an area of their choice, not simply the area where I suggested. I am more than happy to organise one in our area.

Neil, thanks for that, personally happy to go anywhere in the country for the weekend.

I am hoping we could eventually make the weekend a more organised one like last years 50th where a hotel is used as a base. Again folks views on this would be interesting to hear.

Peter

[HFStuart]

The wolds is a great area  - and largely unknown to outsiders. I think that would be a cracking choice. 

[A1.6HPE]

Kielder Forest? 
Am really talking about the area south of Jedburgh. This has some great quiet roads and lots of interesting places to visit including  the Jim Clark Museum and perhaps even a trip to the magical Holy Island of Lindisfarne with the intrepid sea-crossing opportunity.
I have organised several Great Northern Weekends so have experience of organising Lancia club social weekends.

Leo

[peteracs]

Hi Leo

Sounds like a great area. I for one would like to have the weekend along the GNW format ie one hotel and organised well in advance so folk can plan. Not sure if that would fit in with everyone’s budgets, but the. You have the option to join for the day etc.

Peter

[Nigel]

After seeing what the Gamma guys did, I would love to visit
Lindisfarne.

However this is quite a way north for a lot of members which may affect
some.
I'm more in favour of the Lincolnshire area as it's a bit more central.

Nigel

[Neil-yaj396]

Hi Leo

Sounds like a great area. I for one would like to have the weekend along the GNW format ie one hotel and organised well in advance so folk can plan. Not sure if that would fit in with everyone’s budgets, but the. You have the option to join for the day etc.

Peter

Just a word of caution/dissent regarding the big weekend at a hotel format. LMC currently do three of these annually and I’m in the thores of organising GNW 24. It’s a surprisingly big and difficult commitment. John and Amanda took something of a gamble with Beta 50, which of course paid off, reserving rooms that they hoped would be taken.

I think Theo takes more of a halfway house approach, finds a nice hotel then gets participants to book themselves on a book quickly or miss it basis. He’ll correct me if I’m wrong. This avoids deposits/speculative reservations etc.

[peteracs]

Hi Neil

Thanks for that view point, it is always good to have first hand experience, maybe Leo could also provide a view on this and how would be best to organise it? I guess the main thing is to keep as many folk near to each other, so that eg the Sat evening meal does not turn into an adventure, thinking of Tony et al on this years do!

Peter

[TonyLanciaBeta (Tony Harrison)]

When we booked the hotel for Beta 50, Amanda, myself and Andy signed a contract to take 20 rooms/catering, fortunately we needed to add lots more  , but was a massive financial commitment personally if it didn't work.
It would be nice if we can find a hotel, to keep everyone together and everyone book individually.

Always amazes me how far the Gamma Consortium travel for their weekends  but worth remembering a fair amount of them are retired, and maybe have more time on their hands 

Tony

[A1.6HPE]

In organising a weekend event, the choice of accommodation is the only real challenge. Increasingly hotels will want a financial commitment long in advance and that presents a considerable risk to the organiser (as Tony has mentioned).  The organiser needs to do a risk assessment to balance the size of the booking. Personally I feel that restricting the number of rooms is good practice on two levels. Firstly the attendees enjoy a more intimate social experience and the arrangement of "first come first served" will generally work for people who are definitely going to attend. The basis is to prepare for the hard-core attendees and handle extras if it possible.

Long distance driving in the UK is not a pleasant experience these days and inevitably hosting a weekend event far away from the area where the majority of Beta owners live will result in a low attendance count.

I joined the Gamma Consortium in Northumbria just recently and there were 7 cars present - 5 Gammas and 2 other Lancias (Plus my Beta part-time).  All those who made the effort to attend seemed glad to have made it.

So while a Betameeta north of Hadrian's Wall is certainly possible it would probably not attract more than a few crews/Betas.

I would have loved to be at Beta 50 but the 7 hour journey had no appeal.

Leo

[Aitch]

Sorry I'm a bit late to join the discussion, but thought I should throw in my views. I love Northumberland, have visited many times, but I do agree that a more southerly location like Lincolnshire would attract more people. Northumberland is a long way from anywhere south of the Midlands, and driving in the Lincolnshire Wolds sounds great. Dates permitting with work, I would be in.

[peteracs]

Hi

Thanks for all the comments. I will therefore try to sort out a weekend which hopefully can fit in with as many folk as possible. Sadly I will make it complicated because of spending a period in France during the summer. So here are the periods I will not be able to make, could you indicate when would be preferred?

I am away 20th June to 27th June and mid July to mid August (exact dates flexible), 5th to 10th September, late September to late October (exact dates are flexible). So that gives us

Early to mid June
End June to mid July
Mid August to late September (excluding weekend of 7th Sept)

Sorry to limit it, just how the dates have worked out this year.


Peter

[Aitch]

Good stuff Peter...For me, best to avoid the first option. My preferred is the final one, mid Aug to late Sept. Thanks again. Howard

[Neil-yaj396]

First option would be best to avoid several LMC events (AGM, Goodwood, Welsh Weekend), but if you go late can we avoid the last two? (Welsh Weekend not announced yet though).

[HFStuart]

3rd option is best for me too - unless you fancy a Beta meet in Slovenia?

[Nigel]

Hi Peter,
I can do the first 2 options and then mid August to mid September
[excluding the last Sept weekend]

Hope this helps. I realise it's a nightmare trying to satisfy a majority!

Nigel

[peteracs]

Hi

I am considering the weekend of the 10th/11th August. I see that there is an Auto Italia meet at Brands, but does not clash with anything else on the LMC calendar.

Any comments would be appreciated before I move forward with it.

The 11th is the date for our local East Midlands club show near Newark, so was going to incorporate that in the program.

Peter

[Neil-yaj396]

Sounds good.

[SanRemo78]

I'll keep that weekend free - but there's no chance the Beta will be done by then sadly!
Guy